Written by GORDON HOEKSTRA
Citizen staff
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Thursday, 09 October 2008 |
Dick Harris (Conservative), Douglas Gook (Independent) Drew Adamick (Liberals) and Bev Collins (New Democrat) took part in Thursday’s all-candidates forum. (Citizen photo by Brent Braaten)
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Conservative candidate Dick Harris pointed to the financial turbulence in his opening statement at the forum, saying Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative government saw the troubles coming and have planned for it.
At the end of 2007, Harper was warning of the challenging year ahead, reducing taxes and public debt and keeping spending under control, Harris told the forum organized by the Political Science Students Association at UNBC. "We have a plan, we had a plan, to put us into a position to weather this storm, and it charts a consistent course on economic and fiscal policy," said Harris.
In answer to question on what to do for UNBC graduates facing a declining forest economy, Harris said further strategy sessions are not needed. "They've been done. What we need is action, and that's what the Conservatives are doing," said Harris, although he provided no details.
NDP candidate Bev Collins noted that there is more bad news in the forest sector, which she blamed on the Conservative government.
Canfor just announced the closure of its plywood plant in Fort Nelson at end of October, a loss of another 290 jobs.
Edmonton-based Worthington Properties has also postponed until the spring any chance of a startup of its newly-acquired pulp mill in Mackenzie.
Collins said she had just learned that another sawmill is about to go down as well in north-central B.C.
She said the continuing closures are directly related to the softwood lumber agreement with the U.S. signed by the Conservatives, as well as policies of the Harper government. "We have an opportunity here in B.C. to turn our wood into secondary manufacturing, into value-added, to stop the flow of raw logs out of Canada so another country can build furniture with it," said Collins. "It's a matter of where we put our priorities, and the NDP puts the priority with the people."
Other companies are also taking mills down, including East Fraser's secondary lumber plants in Mackenzie and Williams Lake.
The latest closures add to the thousands of job losses that have already taken place in northern B.C.
Companies have been reacting to a downturn led by a collapse in the U.S. housing sector. That collapse has been exacerbated by a mortgage crisis in the U.S. which in turn has negatively impacted Wall Street. The financial fallout has spread throughout the globe, tightening credit.
In response to the question about what to do for UNBC graduates facing a declining forest economy, Liberal candidate Drew Adamick said his party would hold a national summit to hammer out a plan for the long-term survival of the forest sector.
Adamick, a third-year UNBC student, said the Liberals would introduce a 10-year, $70-billion infrastructure program that set aside $3 billion for small communities and another $4.5 billion for gateways, corridors and borders. He said the Port of Prince Rupert and the Prince George Airport would certainly be eligible, which would help with expansion and investment in new job opportunities.
Independent Doug Gouk said there has been massive mismanagement of forestry for far too long, and the way to turn that around is to institute an ecological-based forest management system. That's the only way to foster a value-added wood sector, he said. "Unfortunately, none of these parties are willing to stand up to the corporations which continue to decimate our province," said Gouk.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 09 October 2008 )
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